Elwynn Forest
Elwynn Forest, aka the Forest of Elwynn or simply Elwynn, is a vast woodland of stately hardwoods nestled just below the foothills of the Blackrock Mountains to the north. It is the heartland of the human Kingdom of Stormwind and is the starting point of all human characters. Elwynn is a gorgeous span of fertile land and thick forests. Brightly sunny and cheerful during the day and silent and peaceful at night, Elwynn's beauty belies a violent history. Unlike Duskwood, it is close enough to Stormwind to enjoy considerable Alliance guardianship. Home to many farmers, loggers and miners, Elwynn Forest is a tranquil region with several friendly places to stop. Little troubles this region; kobolds infiltrate some mines, and murlocs have moved inland to reside in some lakes and rivers, but overall it is safe. One should stick to the roads though, as the forest is home to many fearsome and territorial creatures. Those who can defend themselves are not in any danger, but others may not be so lucky. Elwynn enjoys consistently good weather, warm and humid with few stormy days. Gentle rain falls just enough to make everything grow full and lush. This woodland is pleasant and tranquil. Loggers and fishers fuel Stormwind’s economy, and a diligent militia keeps it safe from the kobolds and murlocs that occasionally surface. The Defias Brotherhood, a group of robbers and bandits wearing red masks, has recently become a growing menace in the region. It is under guardianship of the kingdom of Stormwind, but has its own democratic government. Marshal Dughan is the elected ruler. Though much of the forest was burned down during the First War trees and lush glades have grown anew.http://www.blizzard.com/wow/townhall/elwynn.shtml Stormwind City lies northwest of the forest and is heavily patrolled by the Stormwind guards. History Little is known of Elwynn's history before Stormwind was founded centuries ago by the Arathi bloodline of Stromgarde in Lordaeron. Ever since humans first settled in the forest, it has thrived under their stewardship. Elwynn Forest was captured by the Horde during their bloody campaign to Stormwind in the First War. The resources culled from the bountiful woods helped fuel the Horde's war machine. Much of the forests were razed as the orcs marched across Elwynn. The town of Goldshire and the abbey at Northshire were both tragically destroyed by the Horde. When Stormwind fell to the orcs and the humans fled, the Stormreaver and Twilight's Hammer clans assumed domains in Elwynn forest. When the humans of Stormwind finally retook their city during the Second War, they regained Elwynn as well. It cost the kingdom of Stormwind a significant amount of gold and resources to rebuild their broken homeland. As a result, the kingdom's economy has flagged since it was rebuilt. Many of the middle and lower classes became fed up with high taxes and unpaid labor in service of the kingdom. Many of these dissidents defected to form the Defias Brotherhood.The Defias Brotherhood does reach into Elwynn Forest from time to time, preying on lone travelers although their main center of operations lies somewhere in Westfall. Some say they have a case against Stormwind, as they weren’t paid for their work rebuilding the city; others say they are whiners who charged too much in the first place. Others (such as Brann Bronzebeard) did their work and were paid, and don’t understand the problems. Still, against the odds, Elwynn has returned to much of its former majesty. Northshire Abbey was rebuilt and has become a recruiting center of sorts for the Stormwind army. Goldshire and its famous Lion's Pride Inn have returned to their former glory as a bustling hub of activity. Today, the only reminders of the Horde's occupation are a few scattered orcish catapults, broken and rotting. Meanwhile, the humans of Stormwind rejoice as Elwynn once again becomes the pride of the Kingdom of Stormwind. People and culture The humans of have lived in Elwynn for centuries, but members of all Alliance factions can be frequently seen traveling and residing in Elwynn due to its proximity to the capital, Stormwind. Most residents of Elwynn are involved in one of its major industries: logging, farming or mining. The people are hardy and hard-working. The region organizes its festivals and celebrations around the planting calendar, its two biggest parties being the planting and harvesting festivals. Elwynn is also visited periodically by the famous, traveling Darkmoon Faire. True criminals in the area are usually sent to Stormwind for trial and punishment in the Stockades, as most people care more for their jobs than housing criminals. Goldshire has a small holding area for drunks and pickpockets, but few stay in the clink for very long. Elwynn’s towns will welcome most any travelers, especially those who want to shop or trade to help the local economies. They are especially kind to those willing to lend a hand in a tough spot. Geography Elwynn lies below the southern foothills of Blackrock Mountain. Its rich farmland is a result of the frequent rains, rushing rivers, and lakes. Recently, several of the lakes have been found to be inhabited by hostile murlocs. Stormwind City itself sits proudly in the northwestern hills of the region, its gates opening down onto the Forest. East of Stormwind, behind a thick wall lies the peaceful Northshire Valley and its abbey. Northshire was the pride of Stormwind's vineyards until recently when Defias bandits drove off the farmers and occupied the farm and fields. In addition, the Echo Ridge Mine north of the abbey has been infested by kobolds. Bears, wolves, spiders and boars constitute the bulk of the region's large wildlife. The creatures are hostile everywhere except for Northshire. The roads leading from Stormwind and Northshire converge to the southeast just north of Goldshire. Goldshire is Elwynn's largest settlement besides Stormwind itself. Second to Goldshire is the Eastvale Logging Camp in the east near the border with Redridge Mountains. Eastvale is the center of Elwynn's lumber industry. On the road from Goldshire to Eastvale is the Tower of Azora where mages conduct arcane experiments in seclusion. On the road to Westfall from Goldshire is the imposing Westbrook Garrison. This barracks and surrounding grounds house a number of the Stormwind Guard, and protects Elwynn's western border. Dotted throughout the forest are small farmsteads growing crops such as wheat, pumpkins, melons and grapes. Kobolds infested the Jasperlode Mine and Fargodeep Mine. Gnolls have erected camps in the Forest's Edge region and the northern rim of Stone Cairn Lake. It is rumored that both the kobolds and gnolls are somehow associated with the Defias Brotherhood. Defias presence in the region has been growing and their people have holdings at Mirror Lake Orchard, Northshire Vineyards, the Brackwell Pumpkin Patch, Jerod's Landing and Stone Cairn Lake. Maps and subregions *Detailed area map (lists all creatures) *Topographic map of Elwynn Forest Dungeons Travel hubs Flight paths from Stormwind City * Ironforge, Dun Morogh * Sentinel Hill, Westfall * Lakeshire, Redridge Mountains * Darkshire, Duskwood * Rebel Camp, Stranglethorn Vale * Booty Bay, Stranglethorn Vale * Nethergarde Keep, Blasted Lands * Morgan's Vigil, Burning Steppes * Thorium Point, Searing Gorge Regions adjacent to Elwynn Forest Notable characters Elwynn Forest is home to several humans of status. From the base camp in Northshire, Marshal McBride sends promising young humans out into the world. In Goldshire, Marshal Dughan leads the effort to reclaim Elwynn from the kobolds, and from his post outside Eastvale Logging Camp, Guard Thomas seeks to eradicate the foothold the murlocs have established in the forest. Quests Elwynn Forest is the starting zone for humans. The quest range here runs from level 1 to 10 with the earliest quests concentrated in Northshire Valley. Quests in Elwynn Forest can visit many of the farms in the area, including The Stonefield Farm in the southwest, the The Maclure Vineyards in the south, and the Brackwell Pumpkin Patch in the southeast. There are battles with kobolds in the Jasperlode Mine and murlocs near Stone Cairn Lake, but a strong recurring threat is established early with the Defias Brotherhood in several locations and even leading into the adjacent region of Westfall. Two quest chains run the adventurer back and forth between the rival farms of the Maclure and Stonefield families. Although not a quest chain, sets the Defias threat early. Meanwhile, the drop quest could help link the gnolls near Ridgepoint Tower to the Defias. Northshire Valley is the starting subzone with the level 1-5 quests. Goldshire is the central village for those following most zone quests and suggested home inn for levels 6-10. Stormwind City is the capital, with quests geared to quests that draw adventurers to other zones. Resources * Cloth ** Linen Cloth ** Wool Cloth (from Sheep) * Herbs ** Peacebloom ** Silverleaf ** Earthroot * Leather ** Ruined Leather Scraps ** Light Leather * Ore ** Copper Vein Wild creatures *Bears *Boars *Gnolls *Kobolds *Murlocs *Spiders *Wolves Notes, Tips, & Additional Info * The Horde enjoy attacking Goldshire, Northshire and Tower of Azora. It won't be surprising if you see a huge battle going on in either of these places. * The two rival farmsteads, The Stonefield Farm and Maclure Vineyards, may be a reference to the real-world Hatfield/McCoy feud http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatfield-McCoy_feud. * Elwynn Forest is one of the locations featured in South Park's "Make Love, Not Warcraft" episode. * This starting zone is usually the highest populated due to Stormwind and the Goldshire dueling phenomenon. External links Category:Eastern Kingdoms Category:Elwynn Forest Category:Forests Category:Human territories Category:Starting areas